Field of Invention
This invention relates to wearable technology for local environment control to alleviate the adverse effects of hot flashes.
Introduction and Review of the Prior Art
A hot flash is a sudden and transitory sensation of increased body temperature and/or a change in intra-body temperature differential. It is often accompanied by flushed skin and sweating as blood vessels near a person's skin surface dilate. Hot flashes are a frequent symptom of menopause and adversely affect a large percentage of women. Hot flashes can have significant negative impacts on a person's quality of life and health. One of the ways in which hot flashes can negatively impact a person's quality of life and health is by interfering with the person's sleep. There are at least two aspects of hot flashes during a person's sleep which are particularly frustrating and challenging to address.
The first challenge is that hot flashes are transitory. If a person tends to be hot all night long, then that person can activate room-wide air conditioning all night long and/or sleep with fewer insulating layers all night long. If a person tends to be cold all night long, then that person can activate an electric heating blanket all night long and/or sleep with fewer insulating layers all night long. However, if a person is subject to unpredictable and transitory cycles of increased and then decreased body temperature throughout the night, then the person may be left with the unsatisfactory strategy of tossing blankets off and on, turning a fan on and off, or some other intermittent action which interrupts their sleep. An ideal system to address hot flashes during sleep should be able to: detect and/or predict the occurrence of a hot flash; and detect and/or predict when the flash ends. Such an ideal system should automatically trigger a temporary body cooling device and then stop it after an optimal duration of time.
The second challenge is that, during sleep, localized cooling is more challenging than localized heating. It can be relatively easy to deliver localized heating to a sleeping person's body using an electric blanket, pad, or mattress. Localized conversion of electrical energy to thermal energy is well established. A minor overall increase in the net temperature of a room wherein a person is sleeping is generally not a problem. However, although there are air-conditioned beds and cooling pads in the prior art, it can be more challenging to deliver localized cooling to a person's body. Many of the air-conditioned beds are intra-room devices which transfer thermal energy from a location near the person to the ambient air in the room in which the person is sleeping. The operation of an intra-room device causes a net increase in overall room temperature which can aggravate the negative effects of subsequent hot flashes. It becomes tougher and tougher for the intra-room device to cool air near the person with increasingly warm room air. In contrast, an exo-room device such as a window-mounted air conditioner or central HVAC system can transfer thermal energy outside the room. However, the prior art does not seem disclose an integrated system which links analysis of data from wearable sensors for hot flash detection and/or prediction with the controlled operation of an exo-room device in order to selectively cool a sleeping person.
This invention addresses these two challenging aspects of hot flashes by disclosing a novel system which can alleviate the negative effects of hot flashes on sleep and quality of life. There are four main categories of prior art which are relevant to this novel system. However, none of these categories of prior art addresses these two challenging aspects of hot flashes as thoroughly as the integrated system disclosed herein. The first category of prior art uses body temperature and/or skin conductance sensors to detect when a person is having a hot flash. The second category of prior art uses EEG sensors to detect sleep stages and/or to evaluate sleep quality. The third category of prior art discloses localized heating or cooling of a person using heated and/or air-conditioned blankets, pads, or mattresses. The fourth category of prior art uses motion sensors and/or wearable technology to adjust a home environmental control system.
The first category of relevant prior art uses body temperature and/or skin conductance sensors to detect when a person is having a hot flash. Prior art which appears to be in this first category includes: U.S. Pat. No. 8,887,328 (McKlarney, Nov. 18, 2014, “System for Cooling a Body Useful for Reducing the Effect of Hot Flashes”); and U.S. Patent Applications 20070193278 (Polacek et al., Aug. 23, 2007, “Cooling Device and Method”); 20090287063 (Freedman et al., Nov. 19, 2009, “Hygrometric Determination of Hot Flashes”); 20100204764 (Garetz, Aug. 12, 2010, “Method for Treating Hot Flashes Associated with Menopause During Sleep”); and 20130036549 (McKlarney, Feb. 14, 2013, “System for Cooling a Body Useful for Reducing the Effect of Hot Flashes”); as well as WO 2010/093604 (Garetz, Aug. 19, 2010, “Method for Treating Hot Flashes Associated with Menopause During Sleep”).
The second category of relevant prior art uses EEG sensors to detect sleep stages and/or evaluate sleep quality. Prior art which appears to be in this second category includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,219 (Hobson et al., Jun. 6, 1989, “Electronic Sleep Monitor Headgear”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,180 (Blanchet et al., Oct. 13, 1992, “Method and Device for Determining a Subject's Sleep State by Processing an Electroencephalographic Signal”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,657 (Terry et al., Aug. 9, 1994, “Therapeutic Treatment of Sleep Disorder by Nerve Stimulation”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,351 (Mann, Sep. 1, 1998, “Electrode Supporting Head Set”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,846 (Pardey et al., Dec. 7, 1999, “Physiological Monitoring”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,378 (Baumgart-Schmitt, Aug. 7, 2001, “Device and Method for Determining Sleep Profiles”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,054,680 (Genger et al., May 30, 2006, “Device for Detecting Electrical Potentials in the Forehead-Area of a Patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,158,822 (Payne Jr., Jan. 2, 2007, “Electrode Holder, Headwear, and Wire Jacket Adapted for Use in Sleep Apnea Testing”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,189,204 (Ni et al., Mar. 13, 2007, “Sleep Detection Using an Adjustable Threshold”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,190,995 (Chervin et al., Mar. 13, 2007, “System and Method for Analysis of Respiratory Cycle-Related EEG Changes in Sleep-Disordered Breathing”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,204,250 (Burton, Apr. 17, 2007, “Bio-Mask”).
Prior art which appears to be in this second category includes U.S. Pat. No. 7,575,005 (Mumford et al., Aug. 18, 2009, “Mask Assembly with Integrated Sensors”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,689,274 (Mullen et al., Mar. 30, 2010, “Brain-Wave Aware Sleep Management”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,850,723 (Magers, Dec. 14, 2010, “Method and Apparatus for Patient Temperature Control Employing Titration of Therapy Using EEG Signals”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,942,824 (Kayyali et al., May 17, 2011, “Integrated Sleep Diagnostic and Therapeutic System and Method”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,560 (Burton et al., Aug. 9, 2011, “Adaptable Breathing Mask”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,069,852 (Burton et al., Dec. 6, 2011, “Method and Apparatus for Maintaining and Monitoring Sleep Quality During Therapeutic Treatments”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,766 (Kayyali et al., May 8, 2012, “Integrated Sleep Diagnosis and Treatment Device and Method”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,281,787 (Burton, Oct. 9, 2012, “Bio-Mask with Integral Sensors”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,355,769 (Levendowski et al., Jan. 15, 2013, “System for the Assessment of Sleep Quality in Adults and Children”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,437,843 (Kayyali et al., May 7, 2013, “EEG Data Acquisition System with Novel Features”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,628,462 (Berka et al., Jan. 14, 2014, “Systems and Methods for Optimization of Sleep and Post-Sleep Performance”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,639,313 (Westbrook et al, Jan. 28, 2014, “System for the Assessment of Sleep Quality in Adults and Children”); and U.S. Pat. No. 8,784,293 (Berka et al., Jul. 22, 2014, “Systems and Methods for Optimization of Sleep and Post-Sleep Performance”).
Prior art which appears to be in this second category also includes U.S. Patent Applications: 20020165462 (Westbrook et al., Nov. 7, 2002, “Sleep Apnea Risk Evaluation”); 20040163648 (Burton, Aug. 26, 2004, “Bio-Mask with Integral Sensors”); 20040254493 (Chervin et al., Dec. 16, 2004, “System and Method for Analysis of Respiratory Cycle-Related EEG Changes in Sleep-Disordered Breathing”); 20050076908 (Lee et al., Apr. 14, 2005, “Autonomic Arousal Detection System and Method”); 20050268916 (Mumford et al., Dec. 8, 2005, “Mask Assembly with Integrated Sensors”); 20060032504 (Burton et al., Feb. 16, 2006, “Adaptable Breathing Mask”); 20060258930 (Wu et al., Nov. 16, 2006, “Device for Use in Sleep Stage Determination Using Frontal Electrodes”); 20070112262 (Payne, May 17, 2007, “Electrode Holder, Headwear, and Wire Jacket Adapted for Use in Sleep Apnea Testing”); 20070249952 (Rubin et al., Oct. 25, 2007, “Systems and Methods for Sleep Monitoring”); 20090062676 (Kruglikov et al., Mar. 5, 2009, “Phase and State Dependent EEG and Brain Imaging”); 20100087701 (Berka et al., Apr. 8, 2010, “Systems and Methods for Optimization of Sleep and Post-Sleep Performance”); and 20100099954 (Dickinson et al., Apr. 22, 2010, “Data-Driven Sleep Coaching System”); and 20100147304 (Burton, Jun. 17, 2010, “Bio-Mask with Integral Sensors”).
Prior art which appears to be in this second category also includes U.S. Patent Applications: 20100217100 (LeBoeuf et al., Aug. 26, 2010, “Methods and Apparatus for Measuring Physiological Conditions”); 20100240982 (Westbrook et al., Sep. 23, 2010, “System for the Assessment of Sleep Quality in Adults and Children”); 20110295083 (Doelling et al., Dec. 1, 2011, “Devices, Systems, and Methods for Monitoring, Analyzing, and/or Adjusting Sleep Conditions”); 20120041331 (Burton et al., Feb. 16, 2013, “Adaptable Breathing Mask”); 20120179061 (Ramanan et al., Jul. 12, 2012, “Detection of Sleep Condition”); 20130046151 (Bsoul et al., Feb. 21, 2013, “System and Method for Real-Time Measurement of Sleep Quality”); 20130056010 (Walker et al., Mar. 7, 2013, “Autonomous Positive Airway Pressure System”); 20130060097 (Rubin, Mar. 7, 2013, “Multi-Modal Sleep System”); 20130131464 (Westbrook et al., May 23, 2013, “System for the Assessment of Sleep Quality in Adults and Children”); 20130303837 (Berka et al., Nov. 14, 2013, “Systems and Methods for Optimization of Sleep and Post-Sleep Performance”); and 20130317384 (Le, Nov. 28, 2013, “System and Method for Instructing a Behavior Change in a User”).
The third category of prior art discloses localized heating and/or cooling of a person using heated and/or air-conditioned blankets, pads, or mattresses. Prior art which appears to be in this third category includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,064 (Figman, Aug. 16, 1966, “Ventilated Mattress-Box Spring Combination”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,262 (Wibell, Jan. 2, 1979, “Heating and Cooling Blanket”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,802 (Feher, Oct. 18, 1988, “Blanket Assembly and Selectively Adjustable Apparatus for Providing Heated or Cooled Air Thereto”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,304 (Elkins, Dec. 5, 1989, “Bedding System with Selective Heating and Cooling”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,136 (Elkins, Jul. 23, 1991, “Bedding System with Selective Heating and Cooling”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,829 (Quisenberry, Mar. 24, 1992, “Temperature Controlled Cooling System”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,127 (Nicholson, Nov. 24, 1992, “Heating and Cooling Blanket Apparatus”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,599 (Stephenson et al., Nov. 30, 1993, “Patient Temperature Control Blanket with Controlled Air Distribution”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,436 (Fontenot et al., Sep. 6, 1994, “Localized Heat Transfer Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,579 (Wu, Sep. 17, 1996, “Mattress Assembly with Semiconductor Thermo-Control”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,741 (Grant, Aug. 5, 1997, “Heating and Cooling Pad”); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,480 (Augustine et al., Sep. 1, 1998, “Support Apparatus with a Plurality of Thermal Zones Providing Localized Cooling”).
Prior art which appears to be in this third category also includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,002 (Augustine et al., Nov. 17, 1998, “Support Apparatus with Localized Cooling of High-Contact-Pressure Body Surface Areas”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,292 (Augustine et al., Jan. 19, 1999, “Inflatable Thermal Blanket for Convectively Cooling a Body”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,615 (Alexander, Apr. 20, 1999, “Temperature Selectively Controllable Body Supporting Pad”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,285 (DeVilbiss et al., Nov. 23, 1999, “Temperature Controlled Blankets and Bedding Assemblies”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,524 (Park, Dec. 28, 1999, “Temperature Controller for Bedding”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,432 (Augustine et al., Mar. 7, 2000, “Support Apparatus with a Plurality of Thermal Zones Providing Localized Cooling”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,427 (Augustine et al., Apr. 3, 2001, “Support Apparatus with a Plurality of Thermal Zones Providing Localized Cooling”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,237 (Schmid, Jan. 8, 2002, “Mattress with Conditioned Airflow”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,099 (Bieberich, Mar. 12, 2002, “Cooling Devices with High-Efficiency Cooling Features”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,976 (Vrzalik et al., Apr. 16, 2002, “Body Temperature Control for Use with Patient Supports”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,527 (Smole, Jul. 30, 2002, “Temperature Control Device for Sleeping”).
Prior art which appears to be in this third category also includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,720 (Augustine et al., Dec. 24, 2002, “Support Apparatus with a Plurality of Thermal Zones Providing Localized Cooling”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,354 (Tolbert, Feb. 25, 2003, “Cooling Blanket”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,348 (Blalock et al., Apr. 22, 2003, “Temperature Controlled Fluid Therapy System”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,399 (Schock et al., Nov. 29, 2005, “Apparatus for Altering the Body Temperature of a Patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,001,417 (Elkins, Feb. 21, 2006, “Cooling/Heating System”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,037,188 (Schmid et al. May 2, 2006, “Systems for Delivering Conditioned Air to Personal Breathing Zones”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,394 (Bieberich et al., Sep. 5, 2006, “Apparatus to Adapt a Convective Treatment System or Device for Cooling”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,579 (Schock et al., Dec. 4, 2007, “Apparatus for Altering the Body Temperature of a Patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,377,935 (Schock et al., May 27, 2008, “Apparatus for Altering the Body Temperature of a Patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,547,320 (Schook et al., Jun. 16, 2009, “Apparatus for Altering the Body Temperature of a Patient”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,631,377 (Sanford, Dec. 15, 2009, “Bed Ventilator Unit”).
Prior art which appears to be in this third category also includes U.S. Pat. No. 7,640,764 (Gammons et al., Jan. 5, 2010, “Portable Coolant System”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,666,213 (Freedman, Jr. et al., Feb. 23, 2010, “Apparatus for Altering the Body Temperature of a Patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,731,739 (Schock et al., Jun. 8, 2010, “Apparatus for Altering the Body Temperature of a Patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,771,461 (Schock et al., Aug. 10, 2010, “Apparatus for Altering the Body Temperature of a Patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,892,271 (Schock et al., Feb. 22, 2011, “Apparatus for Altering the Body Temperature of a Patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,950,084 (McKay et al., May 31, 2011, “Multi-Layer Mattress with an Air Filtration Foundation”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,996,936 (Marquette et al., Aug. 16, 2011, “Operational Schemes for Climate Controlled Beds”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,763 (Brykalski et al., Nov. 29, 2011, “Air Conditioned Bed”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,181,290 (Brykalski et al., May 22, 2012, “Climate Controlled Bed Assembly”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,182,520 (Schock et al., May 22, 2012, “Apparatus for Altering the Body Temperature of a Patient”); and U.S. Pat. No. 8,191,187 (Brykalski et al., Jun. 5, 2012, “Environmentally-Conditioned Topper Member for Beds”).
Prior art which appears to be in this third category also includes U.S. Pat. No. 8,332,975 (Brykalski et al., Dec. 18, 2012, “Climate-Controlled Topper Member for Medical Beds”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,353,069 (Miller, Jan. 15, 2013, “Device for Heating, Cooling and Emitting Fragrance into Bedding on a Bed”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,402,579 (Marquette et al., Mar. 26, 2013, “Climate Controlled Beds and Methods of Operating the Same”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,414,671 (Augustine et al., Apr. 9, 2013, “Personal Air Filtration Device for Use with Bedding Structure”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,418,286 (Brykalski et al., Apr. 16, 2013, “Climate Controlled Bed Assembly”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,425,582 (Schock et al., Apr. 23, 2013, “Apparatus for Altering the Body Temperature of a Patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,435,277 (Schock et al., May 7, 2013, “Apparatus for Altering the Body Temperature of a Patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,671,940 (Allen et al., Mar. 18, 2014, “Life Support and Microclimate Integrated System and Process with Internal and External Active Heating”); and U.S. Pat. No. 8,887,328 (McKlarney, Nov. 18, 2014, “System for Cooling a Body Useful for Reducing the Effect of Hot Flashes”).
Prior art which appears to be in this third category also includes U.S. Patent Applications: 20030079488 (Bieberich, May 1, 2003, “Cooling Devices with High-Efficiency Cooling Features”); 20070193278 (Polacek et al., Aug. 23, 2007, “Cooling Device and Method”); 20070251016 (Feher, Nov. 1, 2007, “Convective Seating and Sleeping Systems”); 20080028536 (Hadden-Cook, Feb. 7, 2008, “Mattress with Cooling Airflow”); 20080060374 (Gammons et al., Mar. 13, 2008, “Portable Coolant System”); 20100011502 (Brykalski et al., Jan. 21, 2010, “Climate Controlled Bed Assembly”); 20100204764 (Garetz, Aug. 12, 2010, “Method for Treating Hot Flashes Associated with Menopause During Sleep”); and 20110092890 (Stryker et al., Apr. 21, 2011, “Microclimate Management System”).
Prior art which appears to be in this third category also includes U.S. Patent Applications: 20110115635 (Petrovski et al., May 19, 2011, “Control Schemes and Features for Climate-Controlled Beds”); 20110184253 (Archer et al., Jul. 28, 2011, “Life Support and Microclimate Integrated System and Process with Internal and External Active Heating”); 20110289684 (Parish et al., Dec. 1, 2011, “System and Method for Thermoelectric Personal Comfort Controlled Bedding”); 20110314837 (Parish et al., Dec. 29, 2011, “System and Method for Thermoelectric Personal Comfort Controlled Bedding”); 20120000207 (Parish et al., Jan. 5, 2012, “System and Method for Thermoelectric Personal Comfort Controlled Bedding”); 20120017371 (Pollard, Jan. 26, 2012, “Blanket Having Two Independently Controlled Cooling Zones”); 20120085231 (Kristensson et al., Apr. 12, 2012, “Methods and Devices for Displacing Body Convection and Providing a Controlled Personal Breathing Zone”); 20120227182 (Brykalski et al., Sep. 13, 2012, “Climate Controlled Bed Assembly”); and 20130031722 (Wong, Feb. 7, 2013, “Air-Conditioning Bed”).
Prior art which appears to be in this third category also includes U.S. Patent Applications: 20130036549 (McKlarney, Feb. 14, 2013, “System for Cooling a Body Useful for Reducing the Effect of Hot Flashes”); 20130042633 (Chestakov, Feb. 21, 2013, “Temperature Control Apparatus and Method for Thermoregulation of a Human Body”); 20130097776 (Brykalski et al., Apr. 25, 2013, “Thermally Conditioned Bed Assembly”); 20130143480 (Trevelyan, Jun. 6, 2013, “Localised Personal Air Conditioning”); 20130227783 (Brykalski et al., Sep. 5, 2013, “Environmentally Conditioned Bed Assembly”); 20140020686 (Kristensson et al., Jan. 23, 2014, “Temperature Controlled Laminair Air Flow Device”); 20140201910 (Rand, Jul. 24, 2014, “Tunnel Generating Bed Cooling System”); and 20140277308 (Cronise et al., Sep. 18, 2014, “Adaptive Thermodynamic Therapy System”); as well as WO2010093604 (Garetz, Aug. 19, 2010, “Method for Treating Hot Flashes Associated with Menopause During Sleep”).
The fourth category of prior art uses motion sensors and/or wearable technology to adjust home environmental control systems. Prior art which appears to be in this fourth category includes: U.S. Pat. No. 8,249,731 (Tran et al., Aug. 21, 2012, “Smart Air Ventilation System”); and U.S. Patent Applications 20080058740 (Sullivan et al., Mar. 6, 2008, “Sensing Article for a Home Automation Network”); 20140207292 (Ramagem et al., Jul. 24, 2014, “Method and System to Control Thermostat Using Biofeedback”); and 20150057808 (Cook et al., Feb. 26, 2015, “Systems and Methods for Adaptive Smart Environment Automation”).
We also include a fifth category for a variety of prior art which is relevant, but which does not fall neatly into one of the four main categories above. Prior art which appears to be in this fifth category includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,876 (Starr, Dec. 30, 1975, “Bed with Circulated Air”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,921 (Hernandez, Apr. 19, 1977, “Cooling Blanket”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,933 (Jenkins et al., Apr. 3, 1979, “Conditioned-Air Suit and System”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,594 (Kuznetz, Jun. 18, 1985, “Stretchable Textile Heat-Exchange Jacket”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,762 (Elkins et al., Sep. 8, 1987, “Personal Temperature Control System”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,250 (Buist, Aug. 22, 1989, “Thermoelectric Pillow and Blanket”); U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,804 (Grant, Jul. 10, 1990, “Bed Ventilating Apparatus and Method”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,771 (Molloy, Feb. 11, 1992, “Configured Pad for Therapeutic Cooling Effect”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,951 (Mason et al., Sep. 7, 1993, “Therapeutic Nonambient Temperature Fluid Circulation System”); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,164 (Szczesuil et al., Jun. 14, 1994, “Body Heating and Cooling Garment”).
Prior art which appears to be in this fifth category also includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,519 (Mason et al., Jul. 19, 1994, “Therapeutic Nonambient Temperature Fluid Circulation System”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,918 (Panetta, Jan. 24, 1995, “Hypothermia Reducing Body Exclosure”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,783 (Allen, Dec. 12, 1995, “Air Percolating Pad”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,120 (Yonkers, Mar. 24, 1998, “Bed Ventilator System”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,012 (Mahaffey et al., Sep. 7, 1999, “Cold Therapy Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,963 (Lerner, Sep. 28, 1999, “Wrist Cooler for Relief of Hot Flashes and Similar Symptoms”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,963 (Lerner, Sep. 28, 1999, “Wrist Cooler for Relief of Hot Flashes and Similar Symptoms”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,225 (Jenkins, Oct. 19, 1999, “Body Heating/Cooling Apparatus”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,666 (Vought, Nov. 23, 1999, “Sterile Surgical-Thermal Draping System and Method”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,338 (Butzer, Aug. 29, 2000, “Article Comprising a Garment or Other Textile Structure for Use In Controlling Body Temperature”).
Prior art which appears to be in this fifth category also includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,258 (Karakasoglu et al., Jan. 9, 2001, “Multi-Channel Self-Contained Apparatus and Method for Diagnosis of Sleep Disorders”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,234 (Van der Loos et al., Oct. 22, 2002, “Sleepsmart”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,718,577 (Li, Apr. 13, 2004, “Ventilated Blanket”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,538 (Westbrook et al., Nov. 2, 2004, “Sleep Apnea Risk Evaluation”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,858,068 (Smith et al., Feb. 22, 2005, “Device for Providing Microclimate Control”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,904,629 (Wu, Jun. 14, 2005, “Bed with Function of Ventilation”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,015 (Jenkins, Sep. 13, 2005, “Body Heating/Cooling Apparatus”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,930 (Blackstone, Feb. 7, 2006, “Air Cooling Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,089,995 (Koscheyev et al., Aug. 15, 2006, “Multi-Zone Cooling/Warming Garment”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,297,119 (Westbrook et al., Nov. 20, 2007, “Sleep Apnea Risk Evaluation”).
Prior art which appears to be in this fifth category also includes U.S. Pat. No. 7,509,692 (Elkins et al., Mar. 31, 2009, “Wearable Personal Cooling and Hydration System”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,565,705 (Elkins et al., Jul. 28, 2009, “Garment for a Cooling and Hydration System”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,721,349 (Strauss, May 25, 2010, “Flexible Personal Evaporative Cooling System with Warming Potential”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,913,332 (Barnhart, Mar. 29, 2011, “Drawn Air Bed Ventilator”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,204,786 (Leboeuf et al., Aug. 9, 2012, “Physiological and Environmental Monitoring Apparatus and Systems”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,216,290 (Shawver et al., Jul. 10, 2012, “Automated Temperature Contrast and Dynamic Pressure Modules for a Hot or Cold Wrap Therapy System”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,277,496 (Grahn et al., Oct. 2, 2012, “Methods and Devices for Manipulating the Thermoregulatory Status of a Mammal”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,512,221 (Kaplan et al., Aug. 20, 2013, “Automated Treatment System for Sleep”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,663,106 (Stivoric et al., Mar. 4, 2014, “Non-Invasive Temperature Monitoring Device”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,907,251 (Larsen et al., Dec. 9, 2014, “Personal Thermal Regulating Device”); and U.S. Pat. No. 8,948,821 (Newham et al., Feb. 3, 2015, “Notification Based on User Context”).
Prior art which appears to be in this fifth category also includes U.S. Patent Applications: 20020026226 (Ein, Feb. 28, 2002, “Therapeutic Apparatus”); 20050027207 (Westbrook et al., Feb. 3, 2005, “Sleep Apnea Risk Evaluation”); 20050240251 (Smith, Oct. 27, 2005, “Apparatus and Method for Applying Cooling Substances to Pressure Points in the Human Body”); 20050245839 (Stivoric et al., Nov. 3, 2005, “Non-Invasive Temperature Monitoring Device”); 20050251913 (McCall et al., Nov. 17, 2005, “Portable Padded Air Flow Pouch”); 20060264730 (Stivoric et al., Nov. 23, 2006, “Apparatus for Detecting Human Physiological and Contextual Information”); 20070098769 (Champion, May 3, 2007, “Systems and Methods for Treating Hot Flashes Associated with Menopause”); 20080040839 (Gordon, Feb. 21, 2008, “Flexible Cooling Garment”); 20080214949 (Stivoric et al., Sep. 4, 2008, “Systems, Methods, and Devices to Determine and Predict Physiological States of Individuals and to Administer Therapy, Reports, Notifications, and the Like Therefor”); and 20080233368 (Hartmann et al., Sep. 25, 2008, “Articles Having Enhanced Reversible Thermal Properties and Enhanced Moisture Wicking Properties to Control Hot Flashes”).
Prior art which appears to be in this fifth category also includes U.S. Patent Applications: 20090159238 (Ko et al., Jun. 25, 2009, “Cooling and Warming Device”); 20100049008 (Doherty et al., Feb. 25, 2010, “Method and Apparatus for Assessing Sleep Quality”); 20100084125 (Goldstein et al., Apr. 8, 2010, “Microclimate Control System”); 20100106229 (Gammons et al., Apr. 29, 2010, “Thermal Skull Pads for Coolant System”); 20100274332 (Hirakawa, Oct. 28, 2010, “Human Body Cooling Apparatus”); 20110015495 (Dothie et al., Jan. 20, 2011, “Method and System for Managing a User's Sleep”); 20120240930 (Kristensson et al., Sep. 27, 2012, “Treatment of Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis and Improvement of Quality of Sleep By Temperature Controlled Laminar Airflow Treatment”); 20130066408 (Peardon, Mar. 14, 2013, “Therapeutic Cooling Pillow”); 20130154838 (Alameh et al., Jun. 20, 2013, “Adaptive Wearable Device for Controlling an Alarm Based on User Sleep State”); and 20130173171 (Drysdale et al., Jul. 4, 2013, “Data-Capable Strapband”).
Prior art which appears to be in this fifth category also includes U.S. Patent Applications: 20130254989 (Garcia et al., Oct. 3, 2013, “Climate Controlled Sleeping Space”); 20130338446 (Van Vugt et al., Dec. 19, 2013, “Sleep Disturbance Monitoring Apparatus”); 20140156084 (Rahman et al., Jun. 5, 2014, “Data-Capable Band Management in an Integrated Application and Network Communication Data Environment”); 20140171132 (Ziemianska et al., Jun. 19, 2014, “Method and Apparatus for Automatically Repeating Alarms and Notifications in Response to Device Motion”); 20140171146 (Ma et al., Jun. 19, 2014, “Method and Apparatus for Automatically Setting Alarms and Notifications”); 20140176335 (Brumback et al., Jun. 26, 2014, “Biometric Monitoring Device with Contextually or Environmentally-Dependent Display”); and 20140176422 (Brumback et al., Jun. 26, 2014, “Biometric Monitoring Device with Wrist-Motion Triggered Display”).
Prior art which appears to be in this fifth category also includes U.S. Patent Applications: 20140206327 (Ziemianska et al., Jul. 24, 2014, “Method and Apparatus for Automatically Adjusting the Operation of Notifications Based on Changes in Physical Activity Level”); 20140222174 (Teller et al., Aug. 7, 2014, “Wearable Apparatus to Detect and Monitor Sleep and Other Activities”); 20140222734 (Stivoric et al., Aug. 7, 2014, “Controlling a Sensory Device Based on the Inferred State Information”); 20140232516 (Stivoric et al., Aug. 21, 2014, “Contextual and Presence Sensing to Operate Electronic Devices”); 20140344282 (Stivoric et al., Nov. 20, 2014, “Systems, Methods and Devices for Determining Sleep Quality with Wearable Devices”); 20140358204 (Dickie, Dec. 4, 2014, “Method and Apparatus for Controlling Menopausal Hot Flashes”); 20140364770 (Slonneger et al., Dec. 11, 2014, “Accelerometer-Based Sleep Analysis”); and 20150018905 (Nofzinger et al., Jan. 15, 2015, “Apparatus and Method for Modulating Sleep”); as well as WO 2001/084982 (Schmid, Nov. 15, 2001, “Ventilated Sleep Devices”).
One could argue that the combination of all four of the main categories of prior art could anticipate at least some aspects of the system to address hot flashes which is disclosed herein. This is a judgment call and up to the patent office in the context of evaluating the novelty of this patent application. I believe, however, that at least some aspects of this system are quite useful and novel, even in light of a combination of these four main categories of prior art. The invention disclosed herein is a novel, integrated, and interactive sleep environment control system which uses wearable technology to predict when a person will have a hot flash and proactively provides localized cooling for that person for a limited time to alleviate the effects of that hot flash. This can reduce interruptions of the person's sleep due to hot flashes and improve their quality of life.